Learn the Top SEO Strategies for Online Gaming Websites
The competition in the online gaming industry is fiercer than ever, with so many websites competing for the same customers.
One of the best ways for any company to stand out among the crowd is by having a high position on search engine results, especially on major search engines such as Google and Bing.
If a potential customer searches for a related keyword or phrase, they should see your business among the first few results. Online gaming companies may be wondering how they can achieve such an outcome for their websites.
Below are the top search engine optimization, or SEO, strategies for online gaming websites.
Start With Keyword Research
One of the most important steps in any digital marketing campaign is to research keywords and how they may apply to your business. What keywords and phrases are people most likely to use if they are searching for your business?
Gaming websites must keep in mind that searches for their niche can vary greatly depending on the location. Site owners should have a full understanding of the countries where they are targeting users, and how they can improve their SEO to show up on the front page for those potential customers.
Optimize Your Content
Even though the majority of action on online gaming websites happens within the games themselves, there are other sections of the site that may require optimization. Your site’s homepage should have relevant keywords and information that help it rank higher on search engines.
Such optimization also applies to your other pages. Many online gambling sites add several paragraphs of text on each of their pages, even ones that are hosting live games. Those paragraphs could include information about the specific game or general tips for online gambling.
The purpose of such text is to help the site rank better on Google, as your text likely includes several related keywords and phrases.
Add Content on a Consistent Basis
Some fundamentals of SEO apply to every business, including online casinos and sports books. Search engines prefer websites that are constantly updating their content to ensure that it is fresh and providing customers with the most relevant information.
That may seem like a challenge for a gaming website, which is why you may want to consider adding a blog to your site. Having a blog can help give you an avenue where you can consistently add new content. Perhaps your blog could focus on online gambling news within a particular country or region.
Mobile Optimization Matters
As a lot of online casinos show growth, competition to get customers signed up has become a lot more intense. Even though online gaming was a hobby that people carried out on their desktops and laptops, most people now gamble on their phones.
If your website does not have a mobile optimized version, you are likely to rank a lot lower on Google search results. Even if the lack of optimization does not immediately tank your ranking, site visitors will realize that your pages fail to load, or load poorly when accessed from smartphones.
Imagine a person finds your site, and they want to play a game of online poker. They try to use the site on their new Apple iPhone, but they are unable to do so.
That person would spend all of 30 seconds trying to get the page to load on their phone. If that fails, they would go backwards and find another site through their search query.
Publish Reviews Whenever Possible
Think of online casinos and sports books as similar to hotels and resorts, in terms of how much they rely on positive word of mouth. An online gambling site does not have a physical location that reassures people they are putting their money in reputable hands. Having positive reviews on your site will result in far more site visitors.
Search engines also give weight to positive reviews, especially when they are linked from legitimate sources of reviews, such as Yelp or Google Reviews. Even if there are one or two less than flattering reviews, that is not a significant issue, as long as the vast majority of people are positive about your gambling site.
Ensure Your Site is Searchable
Many website owners do not realize that unless they take specific actions, search engines may not have a chance to properly search their website. Search engines crawl the web to find new pieces of content by using certain parameters. If your site does not include those parameters, search engines may think it was made by a bot.
One way to improve the chances of your site being crawled is to add contact information to your About Us and Contact pages. Include details such as the names of the company’s founders or directors, addresses, contact details, and any other information that shows a real person set up the site.
Enjoy Watching Your Site Grow
Taking the above steps are so crucial if you want your website to establish itself as a premier online gaming destination. While the process does require a lot of hard work and web knowledge, the end result is well worth the hassle.
Online gaming sites can establish themselves as the authority on the topic in a particular country or region. Maintaining the SEO on your site ensures it remains in one of the top positions for years, which will help you grow the player base at your online casino or sports book.
